Sweet and Sour
by Amona
Summary: GinRan short stories. Latest: As the last of the traitors still on the run, Gin finds there are few places left to hide.
1. Youngsters

Youngsters

Rangiku wiped away some of the sweat of her face with the back of her hand and then continued dragging more wood into their little hut. It was a warm day, probably the last one this year. Gin felt tired just watching her working so busily. Sitting in the shade of the big oak tree next to their hut, he felt quite comfortable. She had a point though, if it rained tomorrow all the wood would be wet. Last year they had been shivering on a particularly cold autumn day when there hadn't been anythig to burn. They had sat closely together then, their thin blankets wrapped around them.

Gin leaned back against the tree, his skin still as pale as in the spring. He held out his arm, sleeve pulled back and smiled. No, he would never get a bit of colour even if he tried.

She had though, the daily work for survival having left her exposed to the sun often enough. He hadn't really noticed that about her in previous years. For some reason he had become more aware of her lately, what she looked like. Her body had been changing, like his had. Somehow it was more obvious with her though.

Like it was now, as she bowed to get a branch that she had dropped. Her breasts moved as she got up again and continued her work. He liked looking at them, was a bit surprised how fast they had grown. They were about as big as the ones of the innkeeper in the 69th district... and that woman was thirty!

He had never touched Rangiku's breasts though, not since they had become like this. Lately they hadn't been as close physically as they had been before. Rangiku seemed more shy, preferred to change her clothes when he was outside. When he had walked in on her once, about two weeks ago, she had quickly put a blanket before her, seeming a little guilty that she no longer wanted him to see her like that.

With a smile he had left, but had felt strangely afterwards. Something had stirred in him, a need to reach out for her, feel her skin.

He hadn't told her that he had gone to the river then and touched himself there, releasing himself in the water, thinking about her hips and breasts.

"Aren't you going to help?" she asked, bringing him back to the now. Her hands were all dirty and there was a leaf in her hair.

Gin stood up, closing the distance between them. For a moment he studied her closely, without saying a word. She held his gaze, but he could hear her breathing going a little faster, like she had suddenly forgotten how to do it normally.

He reached out with his hand, paused for a moment, to add extra tension to the moment, and then got the leave from her hair. It slowly floated down in seemingly irregular movements, caused by the little breeze.

"There you go," he said. Without doing anything else, he headed back to his previous spot and sat down again.

She snorted, but was confused enough to refrain from arguing about it. She just headed out for more wood, glancing back at him once, a question in her eyes.

The end.


	2. Late night visitor

**Late night visitor.**

Unohana sighed and rubbed her eyes for a moment. She was tired, but there was no way she could give in to sleep, not even for an hour. Aizen, the same man who had volunteered to help her division with the sick many times, was now the cause of most of the wounds inflicted of the people in her hospital. The man she had just visited would not make it. There was no longer the will to live behind those grey, old eyes. Both his legs had been cut off. She could do nothing for him but soften the pain.

"Taichou!"

She turned around, a serene smile on her face. "Yes, Nemura-san?" 

"Is it all right to open the window in room 7? Abarai-san is complaining of the heath," the young man said, looking exasparated.

"Move him to a smaller room," she said, not wanting the other patients in room 7 to get a cold. 

"Yes!" Nemura bowed and ran off.

Unohana went up the stairs, wondering how Matsumoto was doing. The woman had been blinded during the last fight, but she had still been lucky compared to some. Earlier this day, her captain had come by to ask how she was. Unohana knew he was genuinely concerned for his vice-captain, but also that he had come to find out when she could assist him again. He needed her at a dire time like this.

The young captain had been a bit surprised that Matsumoto had been placed in a seperate room so far from the other patients. Unohana had said it was to get her to adjust to her lack of sight in peace, so she could start to find a cure. It was part of the reason why she had placed her there, but not the main one.

Matsumoto Rangiku wasn't someone she had treated often. She was better at keeping herself from unecessary harm than someone like Kuchiki-sama's vice captain. She had come a few times though, like some of the other shinigami women, for watseke herbs. They were to be taken in with water or tea just before or after intercourse, to keep a woman from getting pregnant.

Unohana hadn't really wondered who her lovers were. It was Matsumoto's own business and she clearly didn't want people to know. She had never heard rumours.

It was once at night, when she looked out of the window on top of the hospital for a quiet moment, that she had seen Matsumoto walk about with Kyouraku-taichou. They were obviously drunk and especially Kyouraku-taichou was speaking loudly, while she laughed. He put his arm around her and they swaggered to the next bar.

It wasn't this what had caught her attention though, but a figure in a sidestreet, protected by the shadows. Unohana was quite used to seeing people sneak around at night, but she hadn't seen Ichimaru Gin do this before. There had been a tension in his posture as he had looked at them. The moment Kyouraku had put his arm around her, his hand had moved down, just stopped before he touched his soul slayer. A moment later he had stepped back and disappeared from her sight.   
It had been weird, and a number of explanations could be given for it. He was one of those few persons that she couldn't really read.

About four months later, at a meeting of captains and vice-captains, she had been talking to Ise Nanao and Matsumoto, when Ichimaru had come in. Matsumoto's eyes had immediately drifted, unnoticed by anyone else, but clear to her. There had been the slightest turn in his step that had made it clear he was aware of her also, before he went to his proper place.

Unohana had known then. Just like she knew now that he would come.

The best cure against blindness was not to be found in Soul Society, but in the 78th district. The Suhi flower grew there, between the slums. Last month she had used her last supply on another shinigami and she hadn't yet had time to get new ones. She instinctively felt he would come, if not today, then soon. It would save her trouble, but she had rather he staid away as far as possible from her hospital. There was no telling what he might do if he was discovered.

She called up her shikai and let herself drift up, unseen or heard by anyone. There were many secret passages and rooms in the hospital. Only Yamamoto knew about most, as he had she had shown him her designs for approval. But even he didn't know about this one, which she had never drawn on any map. It was a small attic, reachable only from above and by removing a spell that she had put in front of the only entrance, a hole in its roof.

Easily, she disolved the spell, putting her hand just above it. She slid in, landing noiselessly on the wood and started waiting. Through a little hole in the wood, she could look down into the room. Matsumoto was sleeping, her breathing a bit ragged. She was still weak from the fight. It was a bit chilly in the room, but not enough for her to worry about it. Sitting on her knees, she waited.

After about two hours, when the night had deepened, she caught the slightest trace of well-hidden spirit power. Had she not been trained to know everything about Shinigami bodies, she would not have noticed it.

Ichimaru was coming up the stairs, quiet as a mouse. Matsumoto was still sleeping when he came in and looked at her. He was no longer wearing the clothes he had worn when he had still been captain of the third division. His kimono was black, probably to be less noticable in the night. Unohana wasn't able to hear his footsteps as he approached the sleeping woman. In his hand was a small bottle with some darkbrown liquid in it. Unohana immediately recognized it as Suhi leaves extraction.

He put it down on the cupboard next to the bed. Then he paused. Unohana couldn't see his face, but he paused for a fews seconds, before he reached out his hand for the sleeping woman. Unohana tensed up, not sure if he would harm Matsumoto in some way, even if he had brought the medicine.

He only reached for her hair though, a bit of it in front of her face, and stroked it back behind an ear. Just one more moment he remained, then he turned around and started heading for the door. Unohana sighed, glad he was going and just hoping he wouldn't be hanging around her hospital any longer. If he was far enough away she could contact some of the other captains and get him captured. Her relief was shortlived.

"Gin..." 

Ichimaru stopped to stop himself from making a sound, but didn't look back. Matsumoto was not so easily fooled though. She sat up, pulled her legs from under the blanket.

"It's you, right?"

He sneaked on, hand reaching for the door, when she stood up. Her hands were in front of her, like she wanted to make sure she wouldn't stumble against anything now that she couldn't see. The blanket fell to the floor, leaving her in the small white garment that all the patients wore. Unwavering she went forward, trying to feel where he was.

Now he looked back, saw her come for him and he seemed to hesitate before once more heading for the exit. She stumbled then, a box of bandages not put away quite where they should have been. Her unseeing eyes widened as she fell forward, her hands outstretched to stop her fall.

She never reached the ground. He was holding her and her hands landed on his chest. Matsumoto gasped, her hands touching the fabric, moving upwards to his face. When she had found his cheek, he turned his face away a little, probably regretting he had let her catch him.

"How did you get here?" she asked, as he helped her stand upright again. 

"You better go back to bed," he said quietly. "There's medicine now, for your eyes."

The expression on her face changed. Her hand, aiming for his cheek, hit his chin instead. "How dare you!" she whispered. "How dare you come here?"

Calmly he took her by her arm and pulled her to the bed. She let out a sound of anger, but was already pushed down the next moment. "Gin!"

He sat down next to her and took the bottle. After opening it, he let a bit of the liquid drip on his fingers. "Don't move."

For a moment she seemed about to resist, but his fingers were already above her eyes. "Close them."

She sighed, and did as she was told, but she scowl had not disappeared from her face. Carefully he smeared the liquid on her eyelids, exactly as it was supposed to be done. Unohana wondered where he had learned that. He hadn't exactly been a frequent visitor at the fourth division headquarters. 

Matsumoto's tension seemed to disolve a bit. "I once treated you like this," she said quietly.

Ichimaru said nothing, just concentrated on his task. A bit of a breeze came in from outside and Matsumoto shivered, the blanket still on the floor. 

Unohana wondered if Matsumoto was aware of what she was doing to him. Her gown left a lot of skin bare and clung to her round curves. It was thick enough to keep people from seeing through, but did not hide how her nipples had hardened because of the cold. She doubted this man had had any sex since he had run off with Aizen. 

He hid it well though, helped by the fact that Matsumoto couldn't see.

"There, ready," he said cheerfully. "You can open your eyes now."

She blinked, then completly opened them. For a moment she strained them and held her hand near her face. "It's all blurry."

"It'll get better, next time be a bit more..."

He stopped when she had reached out her hand, holding his wrist. "You are thinner," she said, accusation in her voice.

His eyes were closed and his breathing kept even with a bit of effort. "Only got to eat myrncarrot lately, not very tasty."

"I'd have made you eel and miso," she said, with a sad smile. Unohana heard the rest of the sentence, even if Matsumoto didn't say it: _if you hadn't been so stupid. _

Matsumoto pulled back her hand. "But you were never one to stay constant, where you?" 

Ichimaru grinned, but wasn't amused. "I'd have gotten you the best liquor in all planes of existence, every day." 

"If I had followed you after you went?" she asked, voice trembling a bit. And Unohana knew then she had considered it once and had forced the thought away.

"You could never betray your captain... or your inferiors."

Matsumoto let out a humourless chuckle. "So we were doomed from the beginning, weren't we?"

"So?"

She froze, startled. "So...!"

He shifted closer, face near her ear. "It doesn't matter tonight, Rangiku."

A shiver went through the young woman, and Unohana knew they wouldn't be able to resist each other anymore. What bad luck to be caught in this situation. There was no way she was going to let Ichimaru unobserved in her hospital, so he could take out a few off her patients after Matsumoto had fallen asleep again. Still, she was also not very happy about the prospect of being witness to something as privy as this. She could always get him to be captured still, but a fight here was the last thing she wanted. She closed her eyes, imagining what would happen. Abarai-fukutaichou who would jump from his bed, not caring about his injuries and attack, probably crashing a few walls in the process. Kurotsuchi-taichou would blast the place, finally having an excuse to do so. Then he would request the remaining patients to be transferred to his headquarters. Other shingami forcing their way in... no, that would not be wise.

So Unohana decided to compromise and remain in the attic, without watching. She could still hear everything though. The tearing at clothes, sound of kisses and sighs. Both were breathing heavily soon. Obviously they were taking their time and she sighed. She guessed that if she had been someone else she would have cursed them back to whatever dump in Rukongai they had crawled out off for having to listen to this. Then there was the shifting on the bed, movement, moans. They were awfully reckless, both of them.

Still, she felt somewhat sad for the girl. This might well be the very last time they had.

Unohana called up her soul slayer and quietly drifted out into the nightsky, heading for the window of the kitchen, several floors below. An apprentice almost jumped a yard when he saw her float in, but the cook just smiled. "Good evening, captain." 

"Thank you, can you make some tea?"

"Green?" the cook asked.

"Please."

As the woman went to her task, she walked to the cabinet with herbs and opened the heavy doors.

A few minutes later she had put everything she needed on a plate and headed up. When she was at the middle of the stairs, she heard a door open very quietly and close again. Ichimaru's steps were undetectable, but so were hers.

He froze when he saw her, hand on his soul slayer, clothes slightly ruffled. She passed him by like he was a ghost. Her message had been clear though; _get out of here, right now. _

She waited a minute before knocking on Matsumoto's door.

She guessed she was covering up, for it took more than two seconds for her to answer. "...Yes?"

There was still a blush on her face and she held the blanket around herself, probably to cover up a hickey. Her eyes tried to focus on Unohana, wondering if she knew.

"Are you feeling better?" the captain asked.

She nodded, pulling the sheets over her even further.

"I brought you some tea," Unohana said, putting the tray on her cupboard. "And some herbs."

"Herbs?" Matsumoto asked, then froze when she recognized them. "Watse..."

Unohana picked up the bottle Ichimaru had left. "I Have to check on my other patients now, but be sure to put more of those drops on your eyes every three hours."

With his she headed for the door and disappeared through it, leaving Matsumoto.

**The End**


	3. Breaking away

**Breaking away.**

He pulled his knees up even more, the water that streamed into the cave almost touching his feet now. It had been raining for days and Gin guessed that if it kept on like this he wouldn't be able to keep his one pair of clothes dry much longer. Next to him, in the corner of the small alcove, was a bag which had been filled with carrots once. It was almost empty now, tomorrow he would eat the last one. Then there would be nothing but hunger.

He was shivering, hugging himself to keep his chest just a little warmer. The fabric of his clothes was torn and filthy, his own blood having stained it in the last fight. Arrancars, Aizen... some of the other beings he had created... they were all destroyed. Tousen was in prison, a slim chance at mercy. It had been him who had prevented the destruction of Unohana's hospital that Aizen had planned a few days before they had all lined up for battle.

When all had been lost, Gin had managed to disappear, Ukitake already bringing his soul slayer down at him, Kuchiki's swords approaching fast. A mark of one of Soi Fong's attack had been on his left arm just before he had teleported himself to this section of Rukongai, outside of the city.

There was no doubt that they were all looking for him, he had seen the bloodlust in Hitsugaya's eyes not long before the final fight, the rare fire in Ukitake's when he had been about to strike him. He was the last living reminder of the pure evil of which Aizen had brought upon Soul Society, while Tousen could at least be seen as someone who had seen the light on time.

Pushing all of his spirit power behind inner walls was straining, now even more so because he was weakened. Letting it slip one time, just once, would mean that half the captains would be here in mere seconds. Perhaps if he could get a little further away, past the forests and mountains, to the no man's land where shinigami hardly ventured, he would have a chance. But he feared their patrols. Down this little pair of rocks was a village and shinigami roamed everywhere, looking for him. In time they would ease up on it, not quite forgetting about him, but busy dealing with new threats and problems. Gin doubted though that this would happen before he fainted of hunger.

This made him think about her. Rangiku. In the past couple of days he had thought about her quite a lot actually. In that final fight, fought in the 31st and 33th district of Northern Rukongai, he had felt her spirit power, but not seen her. She had been engaged in battle with someone else, probably her captain had deemed it wiser not to have her be confronted with him. Now that they had lost, going along with Aizen could be concluded to have been the wrong decision, meaning she had been right not to join him. When he had first gone with Aizen, he had waited for her, secretly, somewhere deep in himself in the cold, black heaven that they had fled to. Now he was glad she had never come. She would be dead now, or sitting next to Tousen, bounded and awaiting her sentence.

They had used this cave once, to shelter from a rain about as heavy as this one. It had been not long before they joined the academy and not long after they had first started touching each other in that special way. As she had sat here, huddled up not much unlike he was now, he had put his arm around her to keep her from getting cold. They had kissed for what had seemed like hours.

She had been so pretty then, so soft, her hair so smooth in his fingers. Her sighs had made him want to kiss her deeper, get ever closer to her. Somehow she had ended on his lap, legs to either side of his waist. They had both been surprised by how good this had felt. He had been hard then as he often was when he was with her. She had noticed, not commented on it like she had the first time it had happened. For a while he had managed to restrain himself, not wanting to shock her by thrusting against her warm body, but it had been too overwhelming. The first time he began to rub against her, she had sighed, but not pulled back, instead kissing him again.

With the moment it turned better and he had closed his eyes then, burying his face in her shoulders. She had been surprised at that, had to have been as it was usually he that supported her. Her fingers had moved over his back, soothing him as he came closer and spilled himself.

It was embarassing that he had soaked his pants like that, but the moment he came he had not thought of that, had just felt pure pleasure, already wanting more.

How he wanted her to be with him now, feeling her warmth again, those soothing fingers as she brought him some relief. The last time he had had her was so long ago and all that he had known since then was the hollowness of making himself come with his own hand.

But he couldn't blame her. He had betrayed her, not the other was around. Maybe, one of these days, she would remember this cave and send Hitsugaya and a few of his fellow captains over to take a little peek inside. They would find a torn up fox, not being much up to fight even their shikais. If it was Rangiku that would tell them about that, it might be just as well that they would get him. Silly as it once might have seemed, all he had left now was the memory of her affection.

He slept a bit, never too long, the uncomfortable position forcing him to wake again and move his muscles. But it was not this that took him out of sleep this time. His muscles tensed up, there

was definitely someone moving outside, heading for the cave. Whoever it was, spirit power was being hidden. A bad sign. His hand reached out for Shinsou, fingers tightening around it as the person came closer.

It was then that he felt something familiar. He concentrated, wanting to be sure. And then he was. He stood up, leaving Shinsou on the floor and stepped in view.

She was only a few paces away from him. Lips parting, but no words leaving her mouth as her eyes fixed on him, taking in his sorry state. Her hair was completely soaked, water dripping down her face. At this moment he didn't care anymore whether others lay in waiting down the rocks. He made a movement in his direction as she began to do the same.

The last few yards she began to run for him and he caught her in his arms, her hair sweeping forward with the sudden impact. He heard her panting as her hands grabbed the fabric of his clothes. Even though she was completely soaked, he only felt the warmth of her body as he held her, closer than he ever had before.

"You..." she started, voice breaking. "You... stupid..."

He held her tighter then, not wanting her to move away. She had probably been allowed to be the one to go to him and discuss terms of surrender. If so, then this would be the last time he would be able to be near her.

But she was breaking away then, and he reluctantly let her go. He stood passively as her eyes took him in, her hand coming up to touch his chin. Now the rain had soaked him almost as bad as her, making him look even more like something that had crawled out of a sewer.

He smiled at her, wanting her to think that he was okay with what was going to happen, even if he was not. It only resulted in her scowling.

"You fucking idiot."

It was clear to him then that she was angry not because of what he had done to her, but what he had done to herself. It made him feel guilty for turning her life upside down as he had. Maybe it was for the best that he would disappear from it soon, letting her get some rest and happiness.

"You can get them now," he said, still smiling. "It's okay."

Her eyes widened. "What? Who...?"

It was then that he noticed that she was not wearing her vice-captain badge anymore. Was this because she had been elevated to be a captain? But then why was she surprised when he implied she wasn't alone?

He opened his eyes, smile gone. "Why have you come?"

Now she looked down, tension in her posture. "They are concentrating on searching West Rukongai now, it's best to flee now. Tomorrow the eleventh, second and third squad will be here."

"You came here to help me?"

She ignored his question. "I brought some food."

"Not carrots, right?" he asked.

She gave him a look, opening the small bag that had fallen to the floor the moment before they had embraced.

Gin sighed, then turned serious. "If they find out you helped me, they'll..."

"They'll find out soon anyway," she said, looking up again. "Because I am coming with you."

Strange how this made him feel this so warm suddenly, like the rain didn't exist. "I don't want..."

Again she interrupted him. "This is not your decision to make, _Ichimaru_. Last time you left you became a danger to Soul Society, but you don't seem too threatening now. You don't even have Shinsou anymore, I can take you out any time I want."

"He's in the cave," he said smugly.

Her lips tightened. "That's not the point. Last time you might have gotten away, but this time you won't have anyone beaming you up. I will personally make sure you will never be a nuisance to Soul Society anymore."

"You made a deal like that?" he said, surprised, not believing they would go for that if they could so easily round him up once they had his location.

She shook her head. "My captain knows... at least I think he does. That's all I need."

But Gin knew that leaving would hurt her. "You'll be an outcast the rest of your life, Rangiku. You'll have nothing but me... think about it."

Now she smiled at him, faintly, finally. "It wouldn't be the first time."

He frowned, even though she had a point. "But..."

"Since when do you whine this much?" she said sharply. "Get Shinsou now. We have to go or do you want to chatter here until Soi Fong stabs you in your arm once more?"

And for once he did as she told, going back into the cave and taking his weapon. He could hit her now, leave her unconscious and get her squad. She would get no more than a reprimand for coming here by herself and maybe even be out of a holding cell in time for his execution.

But if he did that, she would lose him again... and he knew with the way she looked at him that would break her more than the loss of everything she had there. When he was next to her again, he took her hand.

"Lead the way."

**The end**

_AN:_

_This fic was inspired by beautiful fanart that was put up in someone's imageshack. If anyone wants to see it let me know, I am not sure if it's okay to put links like that on ffnet :)._


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